Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has publicly declared that he wants Mauricio Pochettino to stay at the club in the face of strong rumours that the Argentine is poised to take the Manchester United job.

As Ralf Rangnick puts pen to paper on a six-month deal to be interim manager at Old Trafford until the end of the season, talk is still rife that Pochettino will take over once Rangnick’s temporary stint is finished.

The Argentine’s reported dissatisfaction at PSG has been an ongoing saga since well before the United job became available, but on Friday Leonardo sought to quash the rumours once and for all.

‘We do not want Mauricio Pochettino to go,’ he told AFP. ‘He has never asked to leave & nobody has contacted us for him.’

Leonardo also dismissed a report first published in Le Parisien on Thursday that PSG had held a secret hotel meeting with Zinedine Zidane to sound him out as a potential replacement when Pochettino leaves.

‘We respect Zinedine Zidane a lot, both as a player and coach, but I tell you very clearly that there has been no contact. No meeting,’ Leonardo said.

‘It’s ridiculous to imagine that a meeting with Zinedine Zidane could have taken place in a big hotel in Paris, in front of everyone.’

Pochettino was in Manchester on Wednesday as his side lost 2-1 to Manchester City in the Champions League.

Despite the result, he was in a jovial mood, smiling and waving to fans at Manchester Airport as PSG headed back to Paris, adding more fuel to the rumours over whether he will return shortly as United boss.

For his part, Pochettino has consistently refused to rule himself out of taking the job at Old Trafford.

‘We are in a business where the rumours are there. I completely understand what is going on,’ he said ahead of the City game.

‘We cannot talk about this because of my respect to my club and my respect to another club. What another club are doing in that moment is not my business, it is not my problem.

‘My contract is until 2023, this season and one season more. I don’t say anything different. I’m really happy at PSG — that’s a fact. I’m happy in Paris.’